Billiards and pocket billiards (pool) have recently experienced a resurgence in popularity. At least one billiard parlor or club can be found in every city and town in the United States. Many bars have at least one billiard table for the use of their customers. Serious billiard players usually purchase one or more pool cues which can cost from fifty dollars to several thousand dollars each. The cues are formed of expensive woods or composites and can be scratched or damaged if handled roughly or carelessly. Billiard parlors usually position billiard tables within a dedicated area. Racks for pool cues are usually found on the exterior wall far from some of the billiard tables.
The play of pool and billiards is by rotation of 2 or 4 players. When a player is not playing, he is usually seated in a chair adjacent a refreshment table. The player would like to retain possession of his cue when resting since the trip to the rack takes time and delays the game when the preceding player is finished and he is called to play. Furthermore, the rack can be out of his view and another player can accidentally or purposefully remove his cue from the common rack.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,903,929 Hoffman 5,072,908 Lodrick 5,255,799 Haynes 5,320,444 Bookwalter, et al. 5,370,570 Harris ______________________________________